The cover says: One boy helps her remember. The other lets her forget. And while those are both accurate statements, I'd argue that the heart of this book is not about the "boys" but about one girl. A girl named Lennie Walker, who has just lost her older sister and feels that loss acutely. She doesn't think anyone understands--not even her Gram or her best friend, Sarah--although each tries to get Lennie to open up and talk about her grief.
Returning
to school, things are even worse.
"My
sister dies over and over again, all day long."
The
only person she feels like might get it is Toby, her sister's boyfriend. He's in that same dark place, and when
they're together, it feels as if Bailey's spirit is with them, alive again. But when their shared grief takes an unexpected
turn, Lennie's as confused as ever. How
can she be attracted to her dead sister's boyfriend?
And
then, of course, there's Joe Fontaine.
He's new in town, a virtuoso musician, and so full of life it
practically jumps off of him. When Joe
smiles, his infectious personality slowly breaks through Lennie's sadness. He makes her feel things she's never felt
before--but again, how can life move on without her sister? How can Lennie?
The Sky Is Everywhere
was such a vivid novel. I could hear Joe's
music through Lennie's lyrical descriptions.
I felt what she felt. Every time
Lennie was happy about something--only to be devastated when she remembers her
sister is gone, every time she learned another one of the secrets Bailey was
keeping from her, I felt her sorrow. Every
time Joe called her "John Lennon," my heart fluttered along with
Lennie's. *sigh*
What
really gets me though is how Nelson is able to mix in so much humor with the
heartbreak. Big and Gram were two of the
best side characters I've ever read.
Both of them were out of their tree--Gram with her aphrodisiacal roses
and Big with his endless string of marriages--but they were such a hoot. I couldn't help but love them as much as Lennie
did :-).
And
again, JOE FONTAINE! This guy was
amazing, truly amazing. I loved how he
didn't give up on Lennie, how he just kind of steamrolled into her life and
made everything in it brighter. While
Lennie was falling in love for the first time, Joe was right there beside
her.
Possibly
my favorite line from the book: "Our tongues have fallen madly in love
and gotten married and moved to Paris." <3
The
notes/letters before each chapter were absolutely perfect. The little glimpses we got of Lennie's soul
on the scrap pieces of paper/wall/wrapper were heartbreaking but
beautiful. Which is exactly how I would
describe this standout YA contemporary: Heartbreaking but beautiful. I'd highly recommend it!
Happy
reading,
Ninja
Girl
